Tom Sanfo
rd set out to draw one hundred notable individuals who passed away in 2012
with the idea of “Petite Morte” in mind. Translated literally\, this means
“little death” but it is often used colloquially to mean orgasm. It is a b
eautifully romantic notion\, that with each orgasm a little part of one’s s
elf dies and is gone forever\; each person held particular interest for San
ford. 100 Little Deaths will open on New Year’s Eve.

In our p
ost-Warholian culture\, we celebrate the lives of the famous with a brief e
cstatic excitement\, a metaphorical cultural media orgasm. We read obituari
es and articles about them\, post on Facebook and Twitter\, listen to their
songs on the radio\, watch TV specials and YouTube videos about their live
s and accomplishments. Inevitably\, however\, the excitement fades and with
each of these deaths\, we have lost something forever.

Sanfo
rd\, was able to meditate on each individual\, as he drew\, remembering the
ir unique contributions\, and according to Sanford\, “As the drawings of th
ose who passed away in 2012 accumulated\, I realized that to see them all t
ogether would be very powerful. Installed together I hope that my 100 Litt
le Deaths shows the immensity of what we lose every year. The wall of drawi
ngs becomes a mausoleum for 2012.” Among the portraits represented are poli
tical figures\; music legends\; cultural icons of our youth such as Davy Jo
nes and Donna Summer\; noteworthy artists\, Thomas Kinkade\, Franz West\, a
nd Will Barnet\; publishers\; religious leaders\; comediennes\; and news wo
rthy individuals such as Rodney King and Joe Paterno. The list goes on.

In wishing to bring levity to a very serious and somewhat somber
project\, Sanford embarked on his most ambitiously scaled painting\, measu
ring 8 feet by 16 feet. Sanford states “The painting is of an airport depa
rtures cocktail lounge where each of the 100 Little Deaths are depicted gat
hering for a last drink before they board flights to oblivion. I executed t
his painting in a more cartoonish manner and is intended to be a Mad Magazi
ne meets Jorg Immendorff style purgatory scene of the dead before they depa
rt\, finally and forever.”

Tom Sanford lives and works in New York and has exhibited internationally
. He has enjoyed solo shows at Leo Koenig Gallery in New York\, Galleri Fa
rschou in Copenhagen\, Galleri Poulson in Copenhagen\, and Gallery Zidoun i
n Luxembourg\, and group shows at ACME in Los Angeles and Freight and Volum
e in New York\, among many others. He recently completed a temporary public
art project that was curated by Keith Schweitzer\, ArtUp\, FABnyc\, and in
stalled on scaffolding on the Lower East Side in New York.